Lazaro Aleman, Greene Publishing, Inc.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.9 percent in November, up 0.1 percentage point from the revised October rate of 4.8 percent, originally reported as 4.6 percent. Florida’s rate is now 0.3 percentage point higher than the U.S. jobless rate, which was 4.6 percent in November.
In Madison County, the jobless rate remained at 5.3 percent for the third consecutive month. And in Jefferson County, the November jobless rate was 5.3 percent, 0.1-percentage point above the 5.2 percent of October.
This according to the latest statistics released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO).
Statewide, 482,000 Floridians were out of work in November out of a labor force of 9,881,000, not counting persons who had given up the job search, were underemployed, or were employed part time.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was 8,465,000 in November -- an increase of 29,600 jobs over the month, according to the FDEO. Seasonally adjusted means the numbers have been purged of seasonal and other factors that could skew the results. The numbers for the individual counties, however, are not seasonally adjusted.
For Madison County, the 5.3 percent translates into 396 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,420, compared with 398 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,574 in October, when the rate was also 5.3 percent. All told, 7,240 people were employed in Madison County in November, compared with 7,176 in October.
In November 2015, the comparable figures were 439 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,486 and 7,047 employed when the unemployment rate was 5.9 percent.
For Jefferson County, the 5.3 percent translates into 291 jobless persons out of a labor force of 5,481, compared with 286 jobless persons out of a labor force of 5,520 in October when the rate was 5.2 percent. All told, 5,190 people were employed in Jefferson County in November, compared with 5,234 in October.
In November 2015, the comparable figures were 287 jobless persons out of a workforce of 5,396 and 5,109 employed when the unemployment rate was 5.3 percent.
Statewide, the industry gaining the most jobs was leisure and hospitality, up 57,300 jobs; followed by professional and business services, up 51,500 jobs; education and health services, up 50,000 jobs; trade, transportation, and utilities, up 36,100 jobs; construction, up 23,200 jobs; financial activities, up 16,100 jobs; government, up 12,500 jobs; manufacturing, up 10,700 jobs; and other services, up 7,200 jobs.
The only industry that continued to lose jobs over the year was information, down 700 jobs.
Monroe County continued to have the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.2 percent, followed by St. Johns County at 3.8 percent, and Lafayette County at 4.1 percent.
Hendry County continued to have the state’s highest unemployment rate at 9.1 percent, followed by Sumter County at 7.0 percent, and Citrus and Highlands counties at 6.8 percent.